Draft season is just around the corner and there is no better time than now to start breaking down NFL prospects. This class is packed with players that are going to make an impact at the next level. I will cover each and every one of them from the big dudes in the trenches to the erasers patrolling the secondary. Let’s get started with a prospect from the west coast, Tuli Tuipulotu of the USC Trojans.
The Background
Tuli Tuipulotu has an extensive NFL DNA lineage. His brother, Marlon, was a defensive lineman at USC (2017-20), and now is with the Philadelphia Eagles. His cousins are former USC (2018-20) safety Talanoa Hufanga, with the San Francisco 49ers, and former USC (2005-08) defensive tackle Fili Moala, who played in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts (2009-14). Tuli was a three-star recruit from Lawndale High School in California and had a number of offers. Tuilpulotu played in six games and started three as a freshman with some decent results, 22 tackles, 2½ TFLs, and two sacks. In his sophomore season, Tuipoltu started all 12 games and showed his ability to be an impact player, with 48 tackles, 7½ TFLs, and 2½ sacks.
In 2022, Tuipulotu had a huge breakout season as a junior. He would play and start in all 14 games for the Trojans while setting career-high numbers in nearly every category. Tuipulotu produced 46 total tackles, 31 solo stops, 22 TFLs, 13½ sacks, three PBUs, and two forced fumbles. He finished the season nationally ranked in sacks (1st) and TFLs (2nd). Tuipulotu earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and All-American honors for his efforts. He was a major factor in the Trojan's defense and their run at a championship. Tuipulotu capitalized on the big season and declared early for the NFL draft.
Stats Provided by Pro Football Reference
Player Breakdown
The way that Tuipulotu plays the game with his workmanlike approach, paired with his talent makes the game come easy to him. While he is currently projected as a top-50 pick for the upcoming NFL Draft, Tuipulotu is far from a finished product. He is as good of a player as you will find at the interior defensive line position. He measured in at 6’3”/266 lbs and can play up and down the line as he did for USC. That ability to play both on the edge and the interior will be a valuable skill set that NFL teams will covet. Tuipulotu plays with a revved-up motor and for his size, he possesses nice athleticism and agility on the higher end of the scale when playing in confined spaces.
Even though he has excellent position flexibility value, there are some issues when playing inside or outside. On the inside, he’s going to need to bulk up and maximize his strength but on the outside, his lack of length needed to contain can cause him problems. Tuipulotu is a power player with not a lot of finesse to his game. He plays with a constant high motor and all-effort every play, which will have to continue as his burst and first step isn’t how he wins at the snap. When rushing the passer it’s his lower body power and his pop and shed upper body combo that he consistently wins with. Tuipulotu does a nice job of bending and flattening but doesn’t have the closing speed to the quarterback, that the elite pass rushers do.
As I finish the breakdown of Tuipulotu, he’s a player that plays hard but he needs to develop his counter game if he wants to continue to have his game trend upwards. He also needs to stay on script and not freelance when his initial moves are denied. That’s where the counter game becomes so important for him. He can fit any team in the NFL and I can’t express enough how valuable his position flexibility and effort will be for him and the team that selects him. Not a lot to say about his coverage skills as that’s not a role that will be required from him. We’ll know a lot more about his measurables and times at his pro day.
NFL & Fantasy Projection
Tuipulotu's best-projected fit will be with teams that can be creative and take advantage of matchups. Schematically he fits everything and will give maximum effort. He can rush the passer from any of the defensive line positions and a few places I would like to see him land are Washington, Philadelphia, or New England. Tuipulotu is a player that will start a lot of games and play for a long time in this league. He has some development ahead but he’s super smart and can apply what he learns to the field. Get him on the field early and get that on-the-job training that he will benefit from.
Tuipulotu’s fantasy outlook is one that will be intriguing for fantasy managers. His playing time will come quickly if he can land on a team with defensive line needs. He was an impact player at USC and my impact score (1.968) for him shows the potential he has. His pass rush score (.656) is one of the highest that I have for the IDL position in this class. Fantasy managers in position-specific leagues that are in need of defensive tackle help will want to have Tuipulotu on their draft boards.
Thanks for reading my article. I am a member of the FSWA (Fantasy Sports Writers of America). Follow me on Twitter at @HollywoodTitan, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub — I’m user KingTitan1 — and tune in each week and listen to IDP Nation and Devy IDP Grind, the podcasts that I co-host, on several different platforms. Feel free to email or dm me with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy
